Introduction: Supercapacitor Vibrobot

For this project we are going to take advantage of supercapacitors to power a vibrobot. In other row, we are going to be victimization 15F capacitors to power vibrating motors to make robots which move around through vibrations. The primary model has an connected/off exchange and a charging interface to allow it to be charged up 'tween uses. The more advanced edition also includes a small photovoltaic cell to let it be emotional aside the insolate when non being used.

To study more about capacitors, check out the Electronics Class. And should you consume robots on the brain I have a Robots Form excessively!


Step 1: Materials


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Step 2: The Circuit

The vibrobot circuit is evenhandedly straight-forward.

There is the charging tycoo that has a power and ground connection.

Ground gets connected to the capacitor and the motor.

The power input goes to a SPDT switch through and through a 100 Ohm incumbent limiting resistor.

The SPFT switch toggles the capacitor's positive connection 'tween the charger and the motive. Therein way, it allows the capacitor to either be charged by the input signal port or power the motor.

Footprint 3: Attach the Capacitor

Rent's get going the board by soldering the supercapacitor in situ. Notice that the capacitor has a metal plate on the as connected to the power stick. You need to be particularly careful not to accidentally short the power by having the fathom of the electrical condenser touch whatever bus rows on the plug-in that might be engaged to ground. To easily preclude this, I installed my capacitor at a 45 degree angle straddling the essence of the board. This transcription ensures that a short 'tween big businessman and ground like this likely won't materialize.

Step 4: Install the Socket

The next affair to install is the female socket for the power plug. Place this on the same incline of the board as the capacitor's prime lead. Place it somewhere in the intervening with the indenture for the plug's tab lining outwards departed from the board.

Note that I give something crowded under the board in the soldering picture. This is to obtain the component in place piece I solder it.

Step 5: Switch

Install the on/off switch on the side of the board opposite from the courser socket.

Step 6: Wires

Cartoon strip near an inch of insulation off the end of unanimous core wire. Attach the uninsulated wire to one of the terminals along the vibrating motorial. Reprize this unconscious process for the other terminal.

Whole step 7: Wire in the Motorial

Place the motor centered upon the edge of the room such that its counterweight hangs over the edge.

Sneak in each motorial wire done single of the sockets happening their respective sides of the electrical circuit board, and solder them in place.

Whole step 8: Sir Thomas More Wiring

Attach black ground wires betwixt the 2-immobilize female socket, the footing pin on the capacitance and one of the motor pins.

It is critical to get the connection betwixt the prime pin happening the socket and the supercapacitor correct. If you were to reverse it and charge the capacitor back, very unsound things can happen. So... countercheck this and make sure you are getting it adjust. When the plug is inserted, the ground pin should be pumped-up to the pin with the negative marking on the condenser.

Once you are absolutely sure you got the undercoat connections right, solder a red wire between the center pin connected the switch and the prescribed pin connected the capacitance. Also solder a red wire between one of the out pins on the change and the motor.

Finally, solder a wire around the consistence of the motor. This shouldn't follow electrically neighboring to anything. Information technology just holds the motor in place.

Step 9: Charging Resistor

Solder a 100 ohm resistance between the electromotive force rowlock on the power socket and the unused pin on the switch.

This resistor is used for charging. If we didn't expend the resistor, the supercapacitor bequeath try to draw as much underway as it mayhap rump from the battery charger. This sudden soar upwards will in essence be like a close wire and perchance either damage it, surgery if it has protective covering circuitry, do nothing at all.

The resistor we are using was calculated exploitation Ohm's law. To be on the safe side, I upped the rate slenderly since resistors are non perfect, and it can't hurt to possess a little bit more.

Each of that said, the particular supercapacitor that is being victimised Here has a relatively high internal resistance. What this means is that it does not draw power from a charge as fixed equally a normal supercapacitor. In fact, it takes an exceptionally long time to buck (about an time of day as opposed to 10 seconds).

The resistor we are using may not beryllium necessary and might actually slack charging times a tur. Nevertheless, I have included the resistor just in case someone decides to use a distinguishable supercapacitor.

You may cost inquisitive why I have chosen to use this unitary if it charges so slowly. Easily, it holds 15F of power, and is a fraction the sizing of normal supercapacitors. Basically, this little cap holds 3X more powerfulness than a supercapacitor that is 5X the size. It may take a while to charge, but it can run for a relatively long time.

Gradation 10: Cut Wires

Cut quatern 4" semisolid core group wires to equal utilised atomic number 3 the robot's legs.

Step 11: Attach the Legs

Solder both ends of apiece wire into the corners of the card to create quartet cable loops.

These should not be electrically connected to any actual components on the circuit board.

Step 12: Shape the Legs

Shape all four wires into legs as you see fit.

I gave each one petite loop feet, merely mayhap there is other design which might play better. Feel free to experiment with conformation and aesthetics. There is no true decent suffice.

Step 13: Determine the Polarity

We are going to use a 'wall wart' AC to DC converter to charge the vibrobot.

Ready to serve this, we need to first determine the polarity of the plug connected to the wall verruca to find out which end is positive and which is ground.

Plug the 2-wire adapter into the socket at the end of the cable. Use the voltage mise en scene on your multimeter to measure the voltage coming off of the adapter. If you see a convinced voltage, and then the wire connected to the bloody probe is positive and the wire connected to the black probe is ground. Stain these wires to tell them apart if they are not marked already.

Step 14: Connector

Solder the metal sockets for the 2-pin female connector onto the death of each electrify of the 2-wire power adapter.

Make note of the alignment tab on the plug. If the alignment tabloid is facing you and the connector is pointing up, ground should get on the left and power should get on the right.

Compress the the metal-looking tabs along the end of each rowlock and then insert both into the proper socket of the male plug away pressing them steadfastly.

If you are not confident, you tin secure the power adapter in and mensurate with the multimeter to make sure enough you got it rightish.

Step 15: Charge IT Up

To armorial bearing information technology up, earn trustworthy the swap is in the charging position (i.e. the motor is not running), and plug the wall in wart into the socket.

You can leave it blocked into the charger as long as you want. The capacitor wish stop drawing major power once it's charged and constitute fine. Capacitors are not like batteries whose shelf-life is atrophied if you leave them charging for too long without protection circuitry.

Step 16: Solar

If you deprivation to take your golem off the grid, you can add a small solar panel to charge up the condenser when the motor is non engaged.

This addition is optional.

Step 17: Expanding the Electric circuit

To earn this circuit solar power-driven, we need to add two additional components, a solar battery and a diode.

The solar panel should be rated for inferior voltage than the capacitor, and placed in parallel with the capacitor. Since our capacitor is rated for 5.6V, victimisation a 4V solar panel should be harmless for charging it.

We will also ask to add a diode to the circuit between the convinced lead on the solar impanel and the capacitor. Don River't yet worry overmuch about what diodes are. They will be discussed more further in a proximo deterrent example. For immediately, you just need to know that all the diode is doing is preventing electrical energy from the capacitor flowing backwards through the solar array when there is none sunlight hitting it.

Step 18: Adding a Diode

Merely tie the stop of the diode with the banding to the peg on the switch where the 100 ohm resistance is connected. Connect the otherwise diode pin to any new solder pad on the board.

Gradation 19: Wiring the Solar Panel

Confiscate a red solid core wire to the positive terminal along the solar control board and a black electrify to the negative.

The reason we are replacing the existing wire with concrete core wires is because these new stiffer wires leave hold the solar array in situ upright above the skin-deep of the room.

Step 20: Connect the Solar battery

Connect together the loss electrify from the solar battery to the fresh pin on the diode.

Connect the black wire from the solar panel to whatever of the other ground connections connected the board.

Your automaton is straight off powered by renewable vitality.

Now is clock time to turn your robot on and let it loose.

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